TMU Study Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A TMU student consistently starts assignments the night before they're due. Which strategy would most directly address this habit?
- Using a planner to break assignments into milestones with earlier self-imposed deadlines (Correct answer)
- Studying longer hours the week of the deadline
- Asking for extensions regularly
- Reading the assignment rubric multiple times
Correct answer: Using a planner to break assignments into milestones with earlier self-imposed deadlines
Breaking assignments into staged milestones with self-imposed earlier deadlines directly counteracts procrastination patterns.
Question 2: What is the 'generation effect' in memory research?
- Older students remember information better
- Information generated by the learner is remembered better than passively read information (Correct answer)
- Generating many notes leads to confusion
- The brain generates new memories only during sleep
Correct answer: Information generated by the learner is remembered better than passively read information
The generation effect shows that actively producing information (answering, solving, explaining) leads to stronger memory traces than passive reading.
Question 3: How many minutes should a focused work interval last in the Pomodoro Technique?
- 15 minutes
- 25 minutes (Correct answer)
- 45 minutes
- 60 minutes
Correct answer: 25 minutes
The classic Pomodoro interval is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'metacognition' as applied to studying?
- Memorizing large amounts of data quickly
- Thinking about and monitoring your own understanding and learning process (Correct answer)
- Taking notes in multiple colors
- Reading material faster using skimming techniques
Correct answer: Thinking about and monitoring your own understanding and learning process
Metacognition is the ability to reflect on and regulate your own thinking and comprehension while learning.
Question 5: A student struggles with procrastination because tasks feel overwhelming. What is the most evidence-based first step?
- Avoid starting until motivation arrives
- Break the task into the smallest possible first action (Correct answer)
- Plan every detail before beginning
- Wait until the day before to build urgency
Correct answer: Break the task into the smallest possible first action
Reducing the perceived size of a task by identifying the smallest possible starting action lowers the activation energy needed to begin.
Question 6: Which note-taking method uses a two-column format with cues on the left and detailed notes on the right?
- Mind mapping
- Cornell Method (Correct answer)
- Outline Method
- Sentence Method
Correct answer: Cornell Method
The Cornell Method divides the page into a cue column, a notes column, and a summary section at the bottom.
Question 7: What does research say about the effectiveness of highlighting text as a sole study strategy?
- It is one of the most effective memory strategies
- It has low utility when used without additional active processing (Correct answer)
- It works best when done in multiple colors
- It is effective only for visual learners
Correct answer: It has low utility when used without additional active processing
Research consistently rates highlighting as low utility because it is passive and does not require deep processing of material.
TMU Study Strategies 3
A TMU student consistently starts assignments the night before they're due.
Which strategy would most directly address this habit?